1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a dispenser of items, and in particular to a dispenser of chilled or non-chilled fast moving consumer goods, such as canned or bottled drinks, ice lollies, ice-creams, chocolate bars, snacks, sandwiches, hot chips, pies, hot dogs and fast foods, for example.
A dispenser has been developed and described in Australian provisional patent application numbers 2006904760 and 2006907090, from both of which priority has been claimed and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
Dispensers of fast moving consumer goods such as canned and bottled drinks, ice lollies, ice creams, chocolate bars, snacks, sandwiches, pies, hot dogs, fast foods, toys and cigarettes are well known. Conventional vending machines typically take the form of a large machine, standing on the floor with one or more types of goods inside. The goods can be dispensed, usually on payment of some kind, through a hatch or door in the lower part of the machine. These machines are a good way to access a number of items in locations where there is no alternative means to purchase goods. Unfortunately, conventional vending machines, and particularly those that include refrigeration, tend to be very large. They often have a large footprint, take up a very large amount of floor space and are bulky above the footprint. Often the machines create dead space above them that cannot be used, since the machine needs to stand on the floor.
Further, the requirements of refrigeration or heating of the products to be dispensed means that the vending machine and surrounding surfaces are of an unsuitable temperature for other goods to be displayed for sale eg hot or cold. Therefore, conventional vending machines not only take up a large amount of space they also create unusable space around them that cannot be utilised for sale of items.
Smaller vending or other dispensing machines are known, such as for sanitary items as found in public conveniences. These machines tend to be wall mounted and for smaller, lighter items, but do not have sufficient capacity for most fast moving consumer goods, such canned beverages or other goods. These known, light, wall mounted machines do not chill or otherwise refrigerate the goods which is a requirement or preference for many fast moving consumer goods. Further, the dispenser must be mounted on a wall and so, if there is no wall available, a bulky freestanding dispenser must be used instead, which takes up greater space.
Known cigarette dispensers tend to include a plinth or other raised section on which the part which can dispense the cigarettes stands. These dispensers are only adapted to dispense very lightweight items in small quantities and where no refrigeration or other special conditions are required. Again, the space above the dispenser is dead space that cannot be used for other purposes.
Space for advertising and retailing is at a premium. Observation of a typical shopping centre or supermarket shows that space is money. Almost every available space is used to convey some advertising message or to proffer some goods. With traditional vending machines or other dispensers, the large footprint creates useless space above and around it. Further, there are many locations where there is no space for a traditional vending machine to be installed or a wall to mount a small, light-weight vending machine as described above. Even space on the ground for a low lying cigarette type vending machine may not be available.
Retailing outlets and cafés, for example, already place items on the counter for ease of reach and for impulse purchases. Space is often very limited in these places and so it is undesirable to restrict or reduce the amount of work space available on a counter, by placing things on the counter themselves.
There is a need, therefore, for a dispenser that can be used in areas where vending machines could not otherwise be installed. Or for a dispenser which can utilise space which is not already being used or not being used in an efficient manner whereby fast moving consumer goods are readily available to the public. There are clearly advantages to doing so for the retailers, manufacturers and café owners, amongst others, to maximise their return from the retailing space available.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser which is capable of utilising available space above the head height of an average consumer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispenser capable of being mounted in an elevated position from above or below. It is a further objection of the present invention to provide a dispenser that includes means to rotate items for dispensing.